Hi Everyone! I had dinner with Mary Ann Zimmerman last night in Washington, DC. She's doing well and we had a wonderful dinner at The Oval Room. It's restaurant week in DC, which means that participating restaurants let you choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert for a fixed price. It's a great way to try fancy restaurants because the prices are so reasonable (I think it was $35 apiece this year - which is great for DC). Mary Ann did have some sad news. Her friend's husband was killed in Chicago on Christmas Eve as he was going to pick up food for a family celebration. Those of you in Chicago may have heard about it...he was 79 years old and he had stopped at Popeye's to get food. He was shot by someone who had been in prison for murder and released. I guess it was a big PR issue in the city because it was in Hyde Park and the murdered individual (and his wife) were big neighborhood supporters.

Hope all is well with you guys. I'm getting ready to board a plane so I can return home!